Friday Cephalopod: Wonderpus
Category: Cephalopods • Organisms
Posted on: September 1, 2006 8:11 AM, by PZ Myers

Octopus sp.
Figure from Cephalopods: A World Guide (amzn/b&n/abe/pwll), by Mark Norman.
Evolution, development, and random biological ejaculations from a godless liberal

PZ Myers is a biologist and associate professor at the University of Minnesota, Morris.
…and this is a pharyngula stage embryo.
• a longer profile of yours truly
• my calendar
• Nature Network
• RichardDawkins Network
• facebook
• MySpace
• Twitter
• Atheist Nexus
• the Pharyngula chat room
(#pharyngula on irc.synirc.net)
I returned to the Holiday Inn—where they have a swimming pool and air-conditioned rooms—to consider the paradox of a nation that has given so much to those who preach the glories of rugged individualism from the security of countless corporate sinecures, and so little to that diminishing band of yesterday's refugees who still practice it, day by day, in a tough, rootless and sometimes witless style that most of us have long since been weaned away from.
Hunter S. Thompson
Evolution of Hormone Signaling
Vertebral variation, Hox genes, development, and cancer
« So why do we care about the Vatican's position on science, anyway? | Main | Pssst »
Category: Cephalopods • Organisms
Posted on: September 1, 2006 8:11 AM, by PZ Myers

Figure from Cephalopods: A World Guide (amzn/b&n/abe/pwll), by Mark Norman.
YES! Send me a free issue of Seed.
If I like what I see, I'll receive 5 more issues (6 in all) for just $19.95. If I'm not completely satisfied, I'll simply write "cancel" on the invoice and owe nothing. The free issue is mine to keep.
(Non-U.S. subscribers, click here.)
Comments
Posted by: Bronze Dog | September 1, 2006 8:32 AM
Hippy-trippy, maaaaan.
Posted by: Snail | September 1, 2006 9:04 AM
I suggested they should call it Glamourpus but no one was impressed.
Posted by: Martin Richard | September 1, 2006 9:39 AM
Mandelbrotopus! Octomandelpus! Cephalbrotopod! Fractalpod! Fractalpus! Iteratopod! Octomandelfractalpusopod!
Posted by: rrt | September 1, 2006 9:54 AM
Martin Richard, I swear, if I ever have the honor of naming two cehpalopod species, the second will be "octomandelfractalpusopod."
Posted by: Stanton | September 1, 2006 11:10 AM
Haven't they scientifically described this bugger yet?
Posted by: D. Sidhe | September 1, 2006 12:05 PM
They haven't named the mimic octopus yet, either. Is this common? (/Clueless non-scientist.)
Posted by: D Mitchell | September 1, 2006 2:35 PM
Video. Please. ASAP.
Posted by: Martin Rundkvist | September 1, 2006 3:11 PM
Octupus sp.? Octopus fookin' sp.? C'mon, PZ, you can do better than that!
Posted by: Stogoe | September 1, 2006 3:17 PM
It's like some sort of aquatic oompa loompa, but cooler and with more beak.
Posted by: Older | September 1, 2006 4:58 PM
Today on MSN news:
Video: Octopus kills shark
http://video.msn.com/v/us/req.aspx?r=8&hf=1&h=http%3A//video.msn.com/v/us/v.htm%3Fg%3D2F3EEE6E-6ED5-444C-8A74-6A0899FA0B85%26t%3Dc232%26f%3D06/64%26p%3Dsource_national%2520geographic%26GT1%3D8404
I can't look at it myself, because I refuse to get their upgrade.
Posted by: Sylvia | September 1, 2006 8:53 PM
Far out!
Posted by: Monado | September 1, 2006 9:32 PM
This is beautiful! And so fractal. Thanks for all the new words, Martin Richard!
Posted by: D. Sidhe | September 1, 2006 10:05 PM
The octopus/shark video is fairly old. It's from a Discovery Science Channel "Discoveries This Week" bit about the Seattle Aquarium.
And Wonderpus is prominently featured in the program "Mimic Octopus", as well as Nature's "The Octopus Show" and "The Ultimate Guide to the Octopus", among others.
Posted by: sleepyinsaudi | September 2, 2006 1:32 AM
betelgeuse,.....betelgeuse,.....BETELGEUSE!!!
Posted by: sleepyinsaudi | September 2, 2006 1:33 AM
betelgeuse,.....betelgeuse,.....BETELGEUSE!!!
Posted by: Monado | September 2, 2006 2:38 PM
I give in. I've added Cephalopods: A World Guide to my wish list.